A hostage siege at a Dutch nightclub appears to be over after a man was seen kneeling and handcuffed by police.
Several people in the Netherlands had been taken hostage by a suspect, who was reportedly armed with weapons and explosives.
Two men, including one in a balaclava mask, were later seen leaving the venue.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
0:33
People held hostage in Dutch town
One was put in handcuffs by police.
Three hostages, believed to be employees of the nightclub, were seen fleeing the building with their hands above their heads about an hour before the man was detained.
Earlier, heavily-armed officers cordoned off part of the town of Ede and urged people to “stay away” from the area, adding: “Stay inside and don’t come and watch”.
Around 150 nearby homes were evacuated while authorities dealt with “a hostage situation involving several people,” police said on X.
More on The Netherlands
Related Topics:
Follow Sky News on WhatsApp
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
National newspaper de Telegraaf reported the man who took people hostage was armed with weapons and explosives, citing several anonymous sources.
The report says the man allegedly entered the nightclub at closing time and “threatened to blow the place up”.
Advertisement
There was no indication the hostage situation is terror related, police said in a statement on X.
Image: Firefighters in Ede. Pic: AP
Images from the rural market town in the eastern Netherlands, which is 53 miles (85km) from Amsterdam, showed police officers and firefighters on the streets in the cordoned-off area.
The municipality said that all shops in the centre of Ede would remain closed.
Before the man was detained, the town’s mayor Rene Verhulst said in a statement: “Three hostages have just been released, but the situation is still ongoing. A terrible situation for all these people.
Image: Police gather in a cordoned off section of the town. Pic: AP
“My concern and thoughts go out to them and their loved ones. I hope that the situation is now resolved quickly and safely,” Mr Verhulst added.
“In addition to my concern for the hostages, I understand that this has an impact on all people who have suddenly had to leave their homes, as well as on the entrepreneurs in the centre, as all shops remain closed for the time being.
“I hope for their understanding, especially on this day before Easter. The authorities involved are making every effort to resolve the situation in a safe and peaceful manner. As soon as more information becomes available, we will share it with you.”
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said there is a “good chance” to end the war with Russia.
The embattled Ukrainian president was speaking after he accepted a proposal for a 30-day interim ceasefire and Vladimir Putin stuck to his red lines on needing certain conditions to be met.
“Right now, we have a good chance to end this war quickly and secure peace. We have solid security understandings with our European partners,” Mr Zelenskyy said in a post on X.
“We are now close to the first step in ending any war – silence,” he said, referring to a truce.
He later urged the US and other allies to place further pressure on Moscow and reiterated his belief Mr Putin will delay the ceasefire for as long as possible.
“If there is a strong response from the United States, they will not let them play around. And if there are steps that Russia is not afraid of, they will delay the process,” he said.
Mr Zelenskyy said a ceasefire along the more than 1,000km (600-mile) frontline could be controlled with US help through satellites and intelligence – earlier this week Washington resumed intelligence sharing and military aid after Ukraine accepted the ceasefire.
Mr Zelenskyy also said officials at a meeting between US and Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia this week discussed the issue of territory, but a difficult dialogue would be required to resolve it.
“The issue of territories is the most difficult after the ceasefire,” Mr Zelenskyy said.
It comes as Donald Trump said he sees “pretty good vibes coming out of Russia”, and he thinks Moscow will make a deal on the war.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
1:26
Ukraine has ‘agreed to ceasefire’
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in early 2022 has left thousands dead and injured, with millions displaced and towns and cities destroyed.
After three years of war Moscow’s forces now control nearly a fifth of Ukrainian territory and have been advancing since the middle of last year.
“The ceasefire unblocks the way for the sides to end the war. And the territories… will be the point that makes it possible to end the war after this issue is resolved,” Mr Zelenskyy said.
The Kremlin has demanded Kyiv permanently cede the territory it has claimed.
Mr Zelenskyy also said he was discussing future security guarantees and economic support with Kyiv’s allies, saying 100% air defence cover would be required as deterrence in a peace deal.
It comes ahead of a video call between Sir Keir Starmer and around 25 world leaders on Saturday, in which he will urge them to make concrete commitments to support Ukraine and increase pressure on Mr Putin to accept a ceasefire.
Rodrigo Duterte, the former president of the Philippines, has appeared at the International Criminal Court, accused of crimes against humanity.
The 79-year-old appeared in the Netherlands via video link on Friday.
His lawyer said he was suffering from “debilitating medical issues” but the judge in The Hague, Iulia Motoc, said the court doctor had found him to be “fully mentally aware and fit”.
She said he was allowed to appear remotely because he had taken a long flight.
Wearing a jacket and tie, Duterte spoke briefly to confirm his name and date of birth.
He was read his rights and formally informed of the charges. His supporters contest his arrest and say the court does not have jurisdiction.
If convicted, he faces life in prison.
His daughter Sara Duterte, the current vice president of the Philippines, said she was hoping to visit her father and have the hearing moved after meeting supporters outside the court.
Back home in the Philippine capital region, large screens were set up to allow families of suspects killed in the crackdowns to watch the proceedings.
Image: Police protested over the killings when Mr Duterte was still in charge in 2021. Pic: AP
Prosecutors accuse Duterte of forming and arming death squads said to have killed thousands of drug dealers and users during a brutal crackdown on illegal drugs.
Police say more than 6,200 people were killed in what they describe as shootouts while he was president from 2016 to 2022.
They claim he was an “indirect co-perpetrator” in multiple murders, allegedly overseeing killings between November 2011 and March 2019.
Before becoming president, Duterte was the mayor of the southern city of Davao.
According to the prosecution, he issued orders to police and other “hitmen” who formed the so-called “Davao Death Squads” or DDS.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
2:25
Why was Duterte arrested?
Estimates of the death toll during his six-year presidential term vary, from more than 6,000 reported by national police, to 30,000 claimed by human rights groups.
The warrant for his arrest said there were “reasonable grounds to believe that Mr Duterte bears criminal responsibility for the crime against humanity of murder”.
Duterte has said he takes full responsibility for the “war on drugs”.
He was arrested on Tuesday amid chaotic scenes in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, after returning from a visit to Hong Kong.
He also refused to have his fingerprints taken and threatened Police Major General Nicolas Torre with lawsuits before he was bundled onto a government-chartered jet at a Philippine air base and taken to The Hague, Maj Gen Torre told the Associated Press.
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
Image: US special envoy Steve Witkoff talking to reporters at the White House. Pic: AP
Mr Witkoff, a former property mogul who has become Donald Trump’s chief negotiator, and is often referred to as the president’s ‘fixer’, had been dispatched to Moscow to deliver the US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire to Vladimir Putin.
His visit had been scheduled near the start of the week, following the US-Ukraine talks in Saudi Arabia.
But after arriving around lunchtime on Thursday, he was left twiddling his thumbs for at least eight hours before being called into the Kremlin.
Mr Putin was apparently too busy meeting someone else – Belarusian leader Aleksander Lukashenko – for a hastily arranged state visit that had been announced the day before.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
1:27
Is a ceasefire in Ukraine still viable?
Was ally’s visit a classic Putin power play?
We don’t know for sure if the timing of Mr Lukashenko’s visit was deliberate, but it certainly didn’t feel like a coincidence.
Instead, it felt like a classic Putin power play.
Image: Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko. Pic: Reuters
The Kremlin leader doesn’t like to be backed into a corner and told what to do, especially on his own turf.
This felt like a message to the Americans – “I’m the boss, I set the schedule, and I’m not beholden to anyone”.
He did eventually grant Mr Witkoff that all-important face time, once night had fallen and behind closed-doors.
We don’t know how long they spoke for, nor the exact details of their discussion, but I think we can make a pretty good guess given Mr Putin’s comments earlier in the evening.
At a press conference alongside Mr Lukashenko, he made it abundantly clear that he’ll only sign up to a ceasefire if he gets something in return.
And it’s not just one thing he wants.
All Russia’s red lines remain
By the sounds of things, he still wants everything.
His comment regarding the “root causes” of the conflict suggests all of Russia’s red lines remain – no NATO membership for Ukraine, no NATO troops as peacekeepers, and for Russia to keep all the territory it has seized.